Houston-Huntsville-Corsicana-Dallas passenger and freight company bus on State Highway 75.
To view more photographs of Huntsville and Walker County, click the link below
Snapshots of a parade in Huntsville, TX.
To view more photographs of Huntsville and Walker County, click the link below
Photograph of the Huntsville Troubadours, a local band in Huntsville, Texas.
To view more photographs of Huntsville and Walker County, click the link below
View of North Side Square in Huntsville, Texas
This postcard shows the Gibbs National Bank in 1908. Gibbs National Bank opened for business in 1890, and served many in the community, including General Sam Houston. In 1890, the Gibbs family acquired a national bank charter and in 1923, the bank changed its name to First National Bank of Huntsville.
To view more photographs of Huntsville and Walker County, click the link below
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
Polo Players at the Beijing Legation
The Legation Quarter of Beijing was an independent military zone belonging to the international community. Troops from America, Great Britain, Japan, Italy, and France were housed in this walled off area of Beijing. Each nation was responsible for its installation within the quarter, which contained restaurants, housing, shops, and other goods and services.
An outlying area known as the Glacis served as a place for sporting events. It contained a baseball diamond, a gridiron for rugby, and polo grounds. The polo grounds were mostly occupied by the French, but residents from other nations participated in matches.
A Huntsville, TX resident named John W. Thomason served at the Legation from 1930-1933 and participated in these polo matches. These photographs come from his personal papers and document the matches and the leisure activities of the legation inhabitants.
To view digitized material from the John W. Thomason collection, click on the link below.
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
Residence of A.J Ward, Penitentiary Leese in Huntsville, Texas sometime during 1873-1875.
From 1934 to 1936 John W. Thomason, a Huntsville resident, served as a junior Marine aide to Assistant Secretary of the Navy Henry L. Roosevelt (of the Oyster Bay Roosevelts). Thomason joined Roosevelt at parties in Washington, family getaways to Oyster Bay, and on his trips to review US Navy installations.
In May and June of 1935, Thomason and Roosevelt visited several navy installations on the West Coast and in Honolulu. SHSU Special Collections has several photographs, including the ones above, that document their visits at these west coast naval installations.
These photos were taken during a major movement to revitalize the US Navy as President Theodore Roosevelt saw the US Navy as a vital component of the Nation’s defenses.
To view material from the John W. Thomason collection, click the link below.
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
There has always been rampant speculation that Huntsville was the inspiration for Dazed and Confused. It may or may not be the case, but our students certainly had the 1970s style down pat.
Here students are enjoying themselves at a gathering in Huntsville in these pictures from the 1975 Alcalde.
Prisoners at the 1980 Texas Prison Rodeo
The Texas Prison Rodeo was one of the biggest events every October in Huntsville, TX. It drew people from all around to see inmates participate in the rodeo as well as national acts like Johnny Cash and Ricky Nelson. With changing views on prisoner treatment and the cost of repairing the stadium, the rodeo was phased out in the late 1980s. Several attempts were made to bring it back, but they have failed so far. As of today, only Angola Prison in Louisiana maintains a prison-based rodeo.
You can view more prison rodeo pictures here
Source: library.shsu.edu
This is a photograph of the 1936 Huntsville High School football team. Robert A. Werner, whose daughter Lynne donated the collection, is located third from the left on the second row, wearing number 57.
To view more of the Werner Family Collection, 1839-2010: click here
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
Chinese Archery
Here is a photo of Jack Thomason, son of Col. John W. Thomason, practicing the Chinese form of archery. Jack spent 1930-1933 in China while his father was stationed at the Legation in Beijing. While not in school, Jack would participate in Dragon Patrol, a Boy Scout organization, where he and his classmates would explore outdoor activities in China.
To view more of the John W. Thomason photographs: click here
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
Sam Houston State Teachers College Glee Club
This is a photograph of the Sam Houston State Teachers College Glee Club in 1925. This photograph was taken on the stage in Sam Houston Memorial Hall which was part of the Old Main building.
If you are interested in Sam Houston State University history, University Archives is open Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm or you can just call our University Archivist at (936) 294-3699.
Source: library.shsu.edu
Lets give Sammy the Bearkat a round of applause
Does anybody know why Sammy the Bearkat used to were a sailor hat? Huntsville is not exactly a port city. I guess it was a trend back then as other mascots like Mike the Tiger had tiny sailor hats.
This picture comes from the 1967 Alcalde which can be found in University Archives.
Source: library.shsu.edu
Swimming at Sam Houston pond
This photograph shows some not so eager swimmers at the Sam Houston pond in 1926. The photograph is from the Jessie Newell Collection which can be found in University Archives. If you are interested in Sam Houston State University history, University Archives is open Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm or you can just call our University Archivist at (936) 294-3699.
A postcard from the S.C. Wilson Collection that was made to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Sam Houston Teachers College in 1929. The school was founded in 1879 when it was called the Sam Houston Normal Institute. It became the Sam Houston State Teachers College in 1923. From 1965-69, it was Sam Houston State College. In 1970, it became Sam Houston State University.
See the high-res image : Postcard of North Exit of Driveway
See the rest of the postcards from the S.C. Wilson Collection: S.C Wison Collection
Source: digital.library.shsu.edu
A view of the Agricultural Department at SHSU in the 1920s
Enjoy this picture of the Agriculture department hard at work in the Agriculture, Manual Training building in the 1920s. To see more great pictures of the university in years past, I suggest visiting the SHSU University Archives on the 4th floor of Newton Gresham Library.
Source: library.shsu.edu
Studying in the Library
Check out this student hard at work in Newton Gresham Library sometime in the 1970s. Oddly enough, those tables look exactly like the ones found in my office. Hey, wait a minute...